Roadster - Newswheel.com

Aston rolls out Vantage Roadster

Newswheel staff :: 15 November 2006 :: Filed under Cabriolet, Roadster, Aston Martin, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Europe & UK, US

Enjoy the ineffable beauty of the new V8 Vantage Roadster, revealed yesterday, while the honeymoon lasts, folks. For it will soon be a pestilence upon the humble roads of west London – when the Roadster arrives, Aston Martin will surely be beating well-heeled customers out of showrooms with a shitty stick. Well, so long as the boutique British sports car brand survives the process of being defenestrated from the Ford empire…

Topless TT unveiled

Newswheel staff :: 20 October 2006 :: Filed under Four wheel drive, Roadster, Audi, Audi TT, Europe & UK, US

Remember the rave reception the updated TT coupe was buried beneath earlier this year? Well, batten down the hatches and prep yourself for a veritable flood of hyperbole. The topless TT has landed…

Nanjing to build MG coupes in the US of A

Newswheel staff :: 12 July 2006 :: Filed under Coupe, Mid / rear engine sportscar, Roadster, MG, MG Rover, Europe & UK, US

Last week, we reported that Nanjing Automobile will resume production of the MG TF roadster at MG Rover’s currently idling Longbridge facility. Now the Chinese motor manufacturer has officially announced plans to crank out hardtop MG TF coupes from a new plant in Oklahoma, USA.

Mercedes SLK facelift: goodbye mini-SLR

Newswheel staff :: 03 May 2006 :: Filed under Cabriolet, Coupe, Roadster, Mercedes Benz, Mercedes Benz SLK, Europe & UK, US

Love it or loathe it, it seems the end is nigh for the SLK’s F1-inspired, SLR-derived bonnet and grille treatment. Word comes down today from Germany’s Auto Strassenverkehr magazine that MB has decided to take the laser to the roadster’s protruding nasal implement in favour of a new treatment more in keeping with MB’s recent offerings…

Saab preps Aero-X-based compact sports car

Newswheel staff :: 20 April 2006 :: Filed under Roadster, Saab, Saab Aero-X, Europe & UK, US

Not exactly a new story. And hardly our favourite source for rock solid new model reportage. So, what to make of news from UK rag AutoExpress that Saab is working on a small sportster with Aero-X-aping styling to take on Audi’s all-conquering TT? Well, rumours of a sporty Saab built on GM’s compact Kappa rear-drive platform (as used by the Saturn Sky, Pontiac Solstice and Opel GT roadster trio) have been circulating for some time. And given the rapturous reception the Aero-X concept received at the Geneva, Saab’s suits must be desperate to put something similar into production…

Newswheel @ Geneva: Opel GT

Newswheel staff :: 02 March 2006 :: Filed under Roadster, Opel / Vauxhall, Opel / Vauxhall Opel GT, Europe & UK, Trade shows

Let’s be honest. When we heard the sophisticated Lotus Elise-based Vauxhall VX220 / Opel Speedster was being replaced by the dumbed down Saturn Sky-derived Opel GT there was very little rejoicing. But we can’t deny it. The GT was one of the few cars at Geneva – in the sensible money sector, at least – that looked thoroughly ripe for a twisty road spanking.

Geneva preview: 2007 Opel GT

Newswheel staff :: 01 February 2006 :: Filed under Front engine sportscar, Roadster, Opel / Vauxhall, Opel / Vauxhall Opel GT

The Opel Speedster (Vauxhall VX220 here in Blighty) is dead. Long live the Opel GT. Following the teaser shot a few weeks ago, Opel has done the dirty on the new GT and released these first official images. The GT will have its first public airing at Geneva at the end of the month but sales a little further out – spring 2007.

Porsche preps bargain basement Boxster. Possibly

Newswheel staff :: 24 January 2006 :: Filed under Mid / rear engine sportscar, Roadster, Porsche, Porsche Boxster, Europe & UK, US

Could Porsche be planning a cheap-as-chips, stripped-out roadster based on the Boxster platform? The internet is abuzz with reports that US rag Road & Track has outted just such a story. But don’t get too excited, it’s just R&T shooting the breeze…

BMW Z8: A bendy Bimmer?

Newswheel staff :: 20 January 2006 :: Filed under Roadster, BMW, Europe & UK, Safety, US

We’re “incredibly angry.” So say a group of BMW Z8 owners in the US. It seems the shock absorber towers on BMW’s low volume alloy sportscar are prone to distortion, which in turn causes upper body panels to lose alignment. Smithers, prepare the legal team…

Minor massage for SL

Newswheel staff :: 19 January 2006 :: Filed under Cabriolet, Roadster, Mercedes Benz, Europe & UK, US,

With the barrage of new metal M-B has rolled out in the last 12 months, could the slinky SL roadster be looking just a little tired? Well, it certainly wouldn’t hurt if Mercedes dropped in its new four-valve V6 and V8 engines. And that’s exactly what’s happened, along with a handful of other upgrades.

Nissan 350Z: upgrades

Newswheel staff :: 12 December 2005 :: Filed under Front engine sportscar, Roadster, Nissan, Nissan 350Z, Europe & UK

Here’s one we missed last week. Nissan has announced a package of upgrades for the 2006 350Z. Both the coupe and roadster variants of the popular Japanese sportster will hum to the tune of 20 extra horsepower, matching the limited edition Anniversary model launched earlier this year.

Wideboy Boxster

Newswheel staff :: 01 December 2005 :: Filed under Mid / rear engine sportscar, Roadster, Porsche, Porsche Boxster, Europe & UK, US

The Porsche Boxster is fabulous machine. If there’s another (relatively) affordable sports car engineered from the ground up by a world class performance car manufacturer, well, we’re not aware of it. But it is a little bit girly. Not any more. German tuner Techart has released the first images of its new badboy, widebodied Boxster.

SMART roadster gets AC reconditioning

Newswheel staff :: 23 November 2005 :: Filed under Coupe, Mid / rear engine sportscar, Roadster, AC, Europe & UK, US

The Project Kimber consortium, led by so-called company doctor David James, is in talks with Daimler Chrysler about bagging the rights to build the SMART roadster and coupe models. So says the Sunday Times newspaper.

No SMG for Z4 M (Updated)

Newswheel staff :: 15 November 2005 :: Filed under Front engine sportscar, Roadster, BMW, BMW Z4, BMW Z4M, Europe & UK, US

Fans of BMW’s robotised manual gearbox, known as SMG, we at Newswheel are surely not. But there’s no doubting how popular such technology has become. So, what to make of news from the US that the Z4 M (and indeed, the rest of the revised Z4 range) will not be offered with the SMG box?

No Saab Solstice (UPDATED)

Newswheel staff :: 14 November 2005 :: Filed under Front engine sportscar, Roadster, Saab, Europe & UK, US

The possibility of a Saab version of the Kappa compact rear-drive sports car platform, as used on the Pontiac Solstice, is no longer. According to Jay Spenchian, general manager for Saab in the US, the car has been exorcised from the company’s plans. Add in the cancellation of the Subaru Tribeca-based SUV, poor sales of the 9-2X in the US and the geriatric state of the 9-5 saloon and you have to wonder what the future holds for the beleaguered Swedish firm…

Volvo hot rod (UPDATED)

Newswheel staff :: 03 November 2005 :: Filed under Mid / rear engine sportscar, Roadster, Volvo, Volvo T6 Roadster, Europe & UK, Trade shows, US

After news that the next Volvo S80 will pack V8 power comes this one-off hot rod concept, on display at SEMA show, Stateside. Powered by a transversely mounted, twin-turbo straight-six, the T6 Roadster even has an unlikely link with Swedish supercar outfit Koenigsegg…

New NSX and S2000 coming

Newswheel staff :: 29 October 2005 :: Filed under Front engine sportscar, Mid / rear engine sportscar, Roadster, Honda, Honda NSX, Honda S2000, Europe & UK, US

Honda’s chairman of research and development, Motoatsu Shiraishi, has confirmed that both the NSX and S200 will be replaced within the next few years. And guess what? The new NSX will be an all singing, all dancing supercar designed to showcase Honda’s engineering skills and take the fight directly to Porsche and Ferrari. In other news, day followed night and George W Bush announced a war on terror.

BMW Z4M: six goes into four

Newswheel staff :: 25 October 2005 :: Filed under Roadster, BMW, BMW Z4, BMW Z4M, Europe & UK, US

BMW’s M division has been working on a variant of the Z4 roadster. Of course, that’s the worst kept secret since a certain TV-based ginger whinger appeared on our screens one day with an extremely startled expression. But forget Anne Robinson’s drum-tight face lift, because BMW has released the first pictures and details of the new straight-six powered Z4M. Read on – you won’t be disappointed.

Seriously sexah: the Gallardo Spider

Newswheel staff :: 14 September 2005 :: Filed under Cabriolet, Mid / rear engine sportscar, Roadster, Lamborghini, Lamborghini Gallardo Spider, Europe & UK, Trade shows, US,

Some say the Lamborghini Gallardo is a dull and dreary Audi at heart. We say who cares, just look at the damn thing. Especially the horrifyingly desirable new Spider, launched in Frankfurt today.

First Fiskers unveiled (updated)

Newswheel staff :: 12 September 2005 :: Filed under Coupe, Front engine sportscar, Roadster, BMW, Fisker Coachbuild, Fisker Coachbuild Latigo CS, Fisker Coachbuild Tramonto, Mercedes Benz, Europe & UK, US

A recipe for automotive nirvana: take Henrik Fisker, acclaimed designer of such tin-topped totty as the Aston Martin DB9 and V8 Vantage, add a choice slice of German-manufactured machinery, stir in some creative freedom and simmer over a low heat. Sounds tasty, eh?

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